Wow factor: This bright shop playfully stands out in the small strip plaza across the street from The Classic Gateway Theatre. A blackboard of specials under a red umbrella on the sidewalk and the cafe's blue-and-pink sign attract the eye. The pink and blue extend inside to ceiling light panels, as well as to the chairs and tables, which co-owner Alessandra Ruospo painted with a faux marble finish. Pink tufted cube seating around a magazine-laden coffee table and a white leather couch are positioned by the front door and in front of the namesake: a showcase of 25 flavors of Italian gelato that draws customers from as far as Miami and West Palm Beach. Cookies and pastries are displayed farther back on a blue-lit counter complementing matching lit walls behind it. The cafe also serves delicious paninis on homemade focaccia or ciabatta ($7.55-$8.96), salads ($8.95-$9.95), breakfast ($2.50-$5.95), 13 illy caffé coffee drinks ($2.25-$4.25) and five smoothies ($4.99).

Quote: "I opened this cafe with the intent to give a real taste of Italy. I wanted to give people the feeling of entering an authentic Italian bar — that is how coffee shop and cafe are called in Italy. All the customers that have been so fortunate to travel to Italy tell me that I achieved my goal and that my gelato is the best they have ever tried outside of Italy and in this area," Ruospo says.

Background: "I never went to cooking school, but my cooking school was the kitchen of my grandmother," says Ruospo, who grew up in Torino and uses her family's recipes. She and husband, Luca Berroni, moved from Italy to Florida 11 years ago, a month before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. They opened this cafe in May in a former Quiznos, and their 6-year-old son, Patrick, often delights customers — 60 percent of whom are Italian — while enjoying his favorite flavor, strawberry.

Buy this: The gluten- and preservative-free gelato ($3.50, small; $4.50, medium; $5.50, large) is made with high-quality ingredients imported from Italy. Favorites are pistachio, hazelnut, mint chip, creme brulee and chocolate. Out of 14 paninis, bestsellers are the Parma with prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and basil ($8.96) and the Anna with roasted zucchini, eggplant, peppers, provolone, olive spread and balsamic ($8.96). Bring home the experience with gelato cakes ($14 per pound) and various imported Italian products, such as Tre Marie pandoro and panettone ($23.99 each), cakes popular at Christmas.